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Show UMiTrn ciT,rri7ci Tin itiiitI I sJ B 19 WH m H Si m fart Qtk m mm m m H WTW H .1 1 JfiL J, " J JK-r kjr JSL JL M. JL J sw? JiL .F A JL Ui JL JL JL LI i .... . . " CONGRESS OPENS FOR 1ST MOMENTOUS SESSION IN ' - , history OF REPUBLIC K i Majority Openly in Favor of Declaration of a B' Slate of War If Not an Actual Declaration of j: War "Patriotic Pilgrims" and Pacifists. Hi Beset Members on All Sides. F;i H WASHINGTON, April 2. President Wilson will address a joint H " session of congress at 8 o'clock this evening. ' Hj I Majority Leader Martin announced to the senate that house Iead- E ers had informed him the organization would certainly be complete by 5:30 o'clock. Hh The president decided to speak at 8 o'clock on the suggestion Hfj of Majority Leader Kitchin, who sent vord to the White House that it jK'J I vas best to decide on such an hour, although the house might be organ- B j ized earlier. H 1 I Word was immediately sent to senate leaders and it was under- Hg stood that when the senate meets again at 5 o'clock another recess un- V HI 8 o'clock will be taken. WASHINGTON. April 2. Congress assembled at noon today for a session, ses-sion, generally agreed to as tho most momentous in the history of the republic. re-public. Democratic house leaders got word from the White House to hurry the organized as much as possible. All plans had been made on the expecta tion that the president would speak tomorrow, to-morrow, but the leaders promised to do all they could to meet his wish to speak today. Majority Favor War.- Congress assembled with a rriajority openly in favor of a declaration of a state of war, if not actually a declaration declara-tion of war. Beset on one side with large delegations delega-tions of pacifists praying for peace and beseiged on the other by large numb-bers numb-bers of "patriotic pilgrims" who demand de-mand the country's entrance into the war, congress waited to hear the president pres-ident outline the long history of German Ger-man aggressions against American lives and tho rights and the predatory violence of her submarines. Administration officials consider Germany has been making war on the United States for some time. A large majority in congress takes the same view. The minority is divided between those who think a state of armed neutrality neu-trality is sufficient for the present and tho very few who openly favor peace at anv nrice. Capitol Arrayed In War Spirit. The capitol vas arrayed in a war spirit as congress assembled. The pacifist derogations wearing white bands on their sleeves or white streamers stream-ers across their breasts paraded the, sidewalks in numbers, filled the houso and senate galleries and mado calls on their congressmen. They moved about without demonstration and there were few evidences of hostility against them. The patriotic pilgrims wero hard'to distinguish among thousands of citizens citi-zens who went about tho clay's work wearing American flags. The'national colors fluttered and rippled from buildings, automobiles and almost every ev-ery point of vantage. The street car companies placed them on thoir cars; every traffic policeman's "go-go" sign had a flag fluttering from its peak. Tho capitol was a wave of color. Chairman Simmons of the senate finance fi-nance committee conferred with Secretary Sec-retary McAdoo on tho amount of money mon-ey needed immediately by tho government. govern-ment. It was agreed not to go Into details until after congress take action ac-tion defining the attitude of the United Unit-ed States and then Secretaries McAdoo Mc-Adoo and Baker and Daniels will again discuss the question with Senator Simmons and also with house leaders. Large Credit Favored. Senator Simmons said ho thought ho thought tho credit to bo granted to tho president by congress should bo a large one. Tho amount fixed, ho added, would not mean that all of it was to bo used, or that much more might not be asked for' later. Senator Simmons said there was no longer doubt that war with Germany would be declared to exist, although the form of the resolution had not been determined upon. House Session Opened. Tho house session opened with I Clerk South Trimble presiding until j organization was perfected. The chaplain included in his prayer a plea for patriotism. "Diplomacy has failed," ho prayed; moral suasion has failed. Appeals to reason and justice have been swept aside. Plea for Patriotism. "We abhor war and love peace, but if war has been or shall be forced upon us, we pray that tho heart of every American citizen may throb with patriotic feeling and that a united people peo-ple may rally around our president to hold up hli hand in, every measure deemed necessary to iirotcct the lives of Amorican citizens and safeguard our inheritance." Nearly the entire senate member- k (Continued on Pago 10) Congress Opens Most MomemitoMS Session in History of Republic (Continued From Page 1) ship was present when Vice President Marshall called for order, and, after the invocation, the president's proclamation procla-mation calling for the extraordinary session was read. Senate Chaplain Prays. In tho senate the chaplain also referred re-ferred to the problems confronting congress. con-gress. "Amid tho confusion and violence of the world today wo cannot know the things that may shortly come to pass," he prayed "Lead us, O God, through the darkness until the day dawns and shadows flee away. Grant us courage to defend the truth. At this critical tlmo in the history of our country, lead these, Thy servants, in a plain path and inspire them with lofty principles." Johnson Sworn In. Senator Johnson of California was sworn in. Tho senate, after being in session about ten minutes, recessed to await organization of tho house. Senators Martin and Gallingor, tho two party leaders, were appointed to act with a house committee in notifying notify-ing President Wilson that congress is ready to receive a communication from him. " In moving for a recess until 3 p. m., Senator Martin said: "In understand there Is a sfrong probability that the house will perfect its organization by 3 o'clock and the president will bo pleased to address a joint session as soon as it is complet" President Is Silent. Before going to congress the president presi-dent did not take even members of his cabinet Into his confidence on the exact terms of his address. "FTom information in-formation he has called for and general gen-eral discussions at cabinet meetings, they know that he has concluded that war with Germany seems inevitable. Delegations of pacifists held "war protest" meetings in their respective senators' offices. Delegation Is Rebuked. One such delegation- was rebuked by Senator Wadsworth when one of the several speakers said America had been a "false friend" to Germany. "That's calling my country a pretty harsh namo; I don't care to hear any more of it," said Senator Wadsworth in terminating the interview. David Starr Jordan, chancellor of Leland Stanford university and one of i the leading pacifists, made an effort to I see President Wilson this morning, j but the president was busy. President Wilson's address immediately immedi-ately will be sent .to all the foreign embassies and legations here and will be telegraphed to American diplomats abroad. It was acknowledged today ' that foreign governments on receipts of it may interpret it as they think I best, even to assume that it so closely ! approximates recognition of a state of I war as to necessitate the issuing of neutrality proclamations. Whether such a step will be taken by any neutral neu-tral prior to formal action by congress con-gress is unknown here. I Senator Martin, the majority leader, I announced in the senate that the I house organization was expected to be I perfected by 3 p. m , and that Presi-1 dent Wilson would address a joint ses. sion as soon as the organization was completed. . oo |